How can we help?

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) is the UK's leading non-profit festival trade association. Created to represent and empower independent festivals, there are various strands to our work:

Being part of a unique network of promoters

Enabling festival organisers to connect with each other and take the temperature of the industry.

Campaigns and Advocacy

Providing a collective voice for the independent festival sector to Government, media, and wider industry.

Business Support

Supporting members in growing and developing their businesses- access to training and experts, in addition to a free legal helpline and accountancy advice.

Events and Training

Free and discounted access to AIF’s annual flagship Festival Congress conference and party alongside various training and social events throughout the year.

Meet the team

John Rostron
Chief Executive

John is responsible for managing the UK’s leading festival representative body.

He leads on lobbying and advocacy on behalf of the independent festival sector. He oversees all AIF campaigns, communications, partnerships, events and development of strategy to support member festivals. He manages day-to-day operations of the Association and also curates the conference programme at Festival Congress, AIF’s annual flagship conference for the festival sector.

Prior to joining AIF John spent several years working as a freelance bid writer for music and arts organisations. During that time he also co-founded the Association of Independent Promoters, which he lead as Chair until his appointment here. Previously John was an independent concert and festival promoter, developing acts from grassroots music venues to Arenas, and co-founded the Welsh Music Prize, celebrating and championing the best new music from Wales.

John has many favourite festival moments, including the Gene Clark No Other Band tribute at End of the Road Festival 2014, a weekend of delight at one of Pictish Trail's festivals on the Isle of Eigg in a year he can't remember and all the highs and lows of running his own Swn Festival between 2007-2017.

Phoebe Rodwell-Carson
Membership & Operations Manager

Phoebe is the Membership & Operations Manager at the Association of Independent Festivals. Alongside managing all their membership processes, she also keeps on top of the general admin, AIF newsletter and membership events. Phoebe also leads of AIF's Safer Spaces at Festivals campaign and helped to launch their EDI policies and action plan in 2023.

Phoebe was previously Membership & Projects Coordinator at AIF as well as the Festival Congress Event Manager between 2018-2020, returning to the organisation in 2022. Prior to this she'd worked in Membership at the Music Managers Forum, and on the Artist & Manager Awards.

Favourite festival moment: going to a DJ set, up a mountain, in an igloo. Mad.

Adassa Dixon
Admin Assistant - Fresh Festival Talent

Adassa Dixon, an avid festival goer and music enthusiast, is a new Admin Assistant at AIF. She has a background in research, activism, and events planning.

Favourite festival moment: Snuggled between two hay bales in Shambala’s ‘Enchanted Forest’ listening to love songs.

Dan Kanabar
Admin Assistant - Fresh Festival Talent

Alongside this role with AIF, Dan is a Masters student studying Event Management. He also has a degree in Digital Photography and Radio Production. Dan's passion is Raves and Festivals - he has attended many and even organised his own Raves in Leeds.

Favourite Festival Moment: at a Festival or Rave is when the sun is coming up and I look around to see everyone still having fun. It’s the best feeling and atmosphere.

 
AIF Board Members

Alex Trenchard (Standon Calling)
Graham Main (Big Burns Supper)
Harad Smith (Valley Fest)
Joe Barnett (New Bohemian Music - We Out Here)
Jon Walsh (Shambala)
Kate Osler (AEI)
Lauren Down (End of the Road)
Penny Warner (Team Love)
Rebecca Ayers (Liverpool Sound City)
Zac Fox (Kilimanjaro)

Chairpersons

CHAIR
Matthew Phillip (Notting Hill Carnival)

VICE CHAIR
Nick Morgan (The Fair)